Protective means for buried cables



u 30, 1932- J. .1. SHOEMAKER- 1,874,369

PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR BURIED CABLES Filed Nov. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS. v

Aug. 1932- J. J. SHOEMAKER 1,874,369

PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR BURIED CABLES Filed Nov. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,illllul INVENTOR. M a W fim w 9} ATTO NEYS.

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED'- :srAiras? rno'rnc'rrvn mus Bostonian-0mm Applicationfliednevemter aavmea. sandman-0,0781.

This invention relates to means for pro.- tecting insulated cable elements or ,flp-ipes which are buried'in the ground at desired depths, and which so far as thesurrounding 5 ground conditions, including moisture, are concerned, need no further protection, but which are liable to be injured by excavating tools, particularly in the; hands of. careless workmen When'diggingisin progress adja- 10 cent thereto, either for thepurpose of bury ing other cable elements or for the purpose of access to the already buried cable forpur poses of repair, connection of branching lines or the like. It has for itsobject unimproved 1:! organization of parts whereby such a cable may be protected, either throughout its length or at selected points where further excavation and the'resultant careless use of the tools therefor is likely to occur. My idea 20 is adapted both for protection of straightaway cable installations or as a coverage. for:

angled or bent-portions thereof,and as will be brought out in the descriptive specification various modifications such asthe detailsof.

2 the clips by which the protective'members are structurally correlated maybe indulged 'tion of the cable interiorly of the protective shell pieces.

Figure 4 is a partly phantomed perspective similar to one section of Figures 1 and 2, designed to bring out the seizing engagement of the marginal edges of the protective pieces by the holding clips. 7 Figure 5 is a partly phantomed perspective, showing a modified form of clip or holding Figure 1 is a perspective of a cable sectionmember inrpos'ition' about thezprotective angle 110118.. L p p l ,7 Figure-:6 i's-avplant-view showingthe adaptability of; my improved construction to a curved cable installation, the ends thereoi 08 being preferably protected 'by sleeves.

Figure- 7- is a cross-sectional elevational view taken i along; the line 1 7- 7; of a Figure :6 andlooking in the directiongofthe arrows theme shown. i g p Figure 8 is a similar cross-sectional view showing "a possible modified form of V protective member relatively to the surrounding sleeve,,.being taken along the-line 8-8 of Figure 6fandlo0king in the direction of the arrows thereLshown. i

A indicates a cable, whichimay be suitably armored or protected against dampness when installed in the ground,-asfor example, by thelead or 'other protective sheathing 'B,-and- Ci -and D-represent marginally correlated angle-iron pieces, which being positioned about the cable in'the manner shown, generally after the, cable" has already-been laidin its trench, -form a generally rectangular enclosure-thereabout, within which the cable spac- I edly-lies, the'exact degree of filling of the space thus enelosedbeinga-matter of choice and selection. The lower one of= these angle iron sections,- as D, maybe eitherrested 'directly 'onr the' ground=iat the bottom of the trench which has been dug io'r' the reception of the cable,-or, i'fdsired, it maybe placed in the correspondingly recessed top 1 portion oflthecradleE, which may? be a wooden block or=f equivalenfimeinber. Withithe angle iron sections C and "D thuswpositioned, thereis placed about them; at suitable points, either intermediately of their length or at'the; line ofu-nion' of meeting sections thereof, a'sufiicient number; of holding clips,- as-F, thecontour of which isbrought outwith particular: clearness =in partly phantomed Figure 4. There is of course-no objection to having these clips-oisuch length'that they entirely surround lithe rectangular structure formed by the correlation of the angleirons Crand D, and indeed mere wires might be'usedffor this purpose, but it is, suficient for effecting their structural; correlation if-th'e. F verbent end portions of these clips F overengage each of the meeting edges of the angle irons C and D, as brought out with particular clearness in Figure 4.

With the parts as thus assembled, a protective structure quite independent of the cable and its sheathing is firmly positioned thereabout, so that it will take the impact or cutting effect of a pick or spade carelessly driven into the ground in the location where the cable is buried, and which would other-' wise be likely to injure the protective sheathing of the cable itself.

In case for any reason the-clipsF hereto-v fore described for the correlation of the angle irons C and D are deemed unsatisfactory or inadequate, I have shown in Figure 5 'a modifiedf form of structure for holding the angle irons together. This comprises 'a pair of complementarily apertured box or. shell members M and N, in the latter-of which the lower angle iron D may be rested, while the correspondingly cut away portion of the top shell member M over'engages the top angle iron pieceC. From the lower one of these box elements, as N, there project upwardly a pair of strap members as P and Q, which, after the angle iron elements and-the box elements are assembled as described, may be bent over at their top ends, so as to clamp the parts thus assembled in desired relation.

The possibility of the application of this construction to those portions or sections of I a pipe which though straight, have positioned intermediate them a curved section, is

illustrated in Figure 6, wherein the angle irons are held in position over the straight sections shownat either end of the figure as though there were no intermediate curved section which is designed to be protectively surrounded similarly to the function performed bythe angle iron sections by the curved half-pipe sections as K and L.- In order, however, to thoroughly protect the cable at the point where the protective angle irons end, I often find it desirable to position a sleeve, as S. These split pipe sections K and L are held in desired relation about the curved pipe or cable portion by means of the bands or straps R which are intentionally shown in somewhat sp ced relation to the adjacent ends of these sleeves.

It is also obvious that not only may protective angle iron sections of selective and variant length be employed for this purpose, but that any'pair of thus marginally meeting angle irons or equivalents thereof may be removed-from about the-cable for purposes of repair or similar access merely by detaching the holding clips appurtenant them and without disturbing other sections further along the cable or pip i I'claim is; L

. -1. In combination with a 'pair of angleirons positioned with" their lateral edges in substantial contact with one another to form an enclosure of generally rectangular cross sectional contour through which a cable may pass, separately attachable clip members positioned at intervals thereabout and engaging the major portion of the peripheral extent of the structure formed by said angle irons at their respective points of location thereon,

. whereby the latter are held against undesired disassemblage.

i 2. The'c'ombination, with a cable Whose special protection at certain locations along its length is desired, of a pair of angle iron .sections adapted ,to be individually positinuous'cable Whose added protection at certain locations in its length is desired, the lateral edges ofsaid angle irons being designed to generally engage one another when positioned about the cable and thus forming a generally diamond-shaped surrounding shell therefor,'and holding clip units positionable about said angle irons as thus assembled to hold the latter against undesired displacement from their described assembled position.

4. A protectii e shell applicable about an already positioned cable length, comprising a pair of angle iron members adapted to be placed about diametrically opposite sides of such cable, forming a cross-sectionally diamond shaped enclosure, and securing clips positioned at intervals about the major peripheral portion of said two piece angle iron structure as assembled, for holding the same in protectively assembled relation about the cable.

' In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

' JOSEPH J. SHOEMAKER. 

